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iMagination Week makes 950 students reflect on the world of tomorrow

29.1.2020

In January 2020,The iMagination Centre at ESSEC Business School organized two sessions of iMagination Week on the Cergy and Singapore campuses. Thi...

In January 2020,The iMagination Centre at ESSEC Business School organized two sessions of iMagination Week on the Cergy and Singapore campuses. This event encouraged students in the Grande école programme to think about the major issues that society is currently facing. 

During the five-day event, students attended lectures from experts in the arts and science, among other domains, to inspire them, stimulate their imaginations, and challenge their preconceived notions. It’s also a time for them to be creative and apply their teamwork skills. This year, students reflected on the theme “A world in TransitionS: from 2020 towards 2050”.

“For the ninth edition of iMagination Week, ESSEC once again showed just how unique such a seminar is,” says Xavier Pavie, ESSEC professor, director of the iMagination Centre and director of the Grande école program in Singapore. “The spotlight was oninterdisciplinarity, imagination, creativity, and design thinking, to show students techniques and methods that permit us to better understand the world, and more importantly, to take charge to build it, rather than just enduring it. This year’s theme of transition highlighted the importance of understanding the social, political, philosophical, and environmental challenges that students will undoubtedly face in the decade we have just begun.”

From January 6th to 10th, philosophers, artists, activists and scientists came to the Cergy campus to share their vision of the world and ambitions for the future with students, to inspire them and give them food for thought. Under the patronage of Cécile Duflot, ESSEC alumna, Oxfam France General Director and former minister, ESSEC also welcomed: 

  • Luc Ferry / Philosopher

  • Jérôme Ruskin / Journalist - co-founder of the publication Usbek & Rica

  • Jean-Marc Jancovici / President of the think tank The Shift Project - Member of the Haut Conseil pour le Climat

  • Antoine Compagnon / Professor of literature at the Collège de France

  • Jean-Gabriel Ganascia / Professor of Information Science/President of the Ethical Committee of CNRS

  • Rob Hopkins / Founder of the Transition movement in 2005, artist and writer

  • Marie Monmont / "Bars behind bars"

  • Madame / Street artist 

iMagination week continued from January 13th-17th on the Singapore campus, under the patronage of Annie Joseph, ESSEC alumna, and with new lectures from:

  • Poon King Wang / Director Lee Kuan Yew Center for innovative cities

  • Nilushika Jayaweera / Social Entrepreneur in Sri-Lanka - "From maid to entrepreneur"

  • Eugene Soh / "The Dude" - Coder and Artist 

  • Walter Tay / Hawker - Hawker Centers / Food in Singapore

  • Peter Lee / Historian - Peranakan culture

  • Sea Chee Wuong / Pdt. Singapore Institute of Architects

  • Hossan Leong / Comedian, "Secrets of voice"

  • Dr Marcelo Ang / Prof. Ingeneering "Robotics in our everyday life"

  • Dr June Goh / Pdt. Council of Women's organisations

  • Marie Monmont / "Bars behind bars" chocolatemaker

  • Danielle Tay / Artist of the week

Students also participated in guided workshops, applying a method inspired by Design Thinking, which aims to increase questioning, optimize the selection of a solution, and practice using and testing prototypes. 

The goal of this week of seminars is to strengthen students’ abilities to work in teams on interdisciplinary topics. By discussing concrete issues, the event aims to encourage their imagination, their spirit, and their creativity, and thus make them enlightened and responsible leaders of tomorrow’s world. 

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